Urgent Report!

After Yue Qing and his wife were laid to rest, the sky had gradually begun to brighten.

Chu Yang and the others had planned to take Xia’er with them, but she insisted on staying at Cloud Dwelling Temple to keep vigil for her parents.

They had no choice but to bid her farewell and return to Jinling City.

Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou had returned safely, and the Silver Note Case had been completely resolved, leaving Magistrate Xu grinning from ear to ear. As Jinling City’s magistrate, he had been walking on thin ice these past few days.

Putting aside everything else, the disappearance of the Jiangnan Hua Family’s Seventh Young Master alone would have been enough to end his official career.

Now that the Great Demon had been eliminated and the missing man had returned, not only was he free of blame, but he could even add another merit to his record. His career prospects were looking brighter than ever. It was practically a windfall.

Thus, Magistrate Xu generously played host, inviting Lu Xiaofeng, Chu Yang, and the others to the finest restaurant in town.

Lu Xiaofeng did not hold back either, ordering an entire table full of exquisite food and wine. Magistrate Xu looked pained as he watched, sucking in breaths through his teeth throughout the meal.

After several rounds of wine.

Unable to hold his liquor, Magistrate Xu was the first to leave. Only after he was gone did Chu Yang and the others finally speak freely.

"I really never thought the two of you would one day leave the capital. I thought you’d grow old and die in that den of comfort."

Lu Xiaofeng could not help sighing.

"A den of comfort…" Chu Yang sighed. "That description is quite fitting. If I hadn’t left this time, I never would have known that the world outside was such a living hell."

"Demons ran rampant, Great Demons roamed freely, and countless commoners could only struggle to survive in the cracks. On the road here, we came across an abandoned village…"

Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou silently listened as Chu Yang recounted what he had seen, and a thought could not help arising in their hearts: he truly knew nothing about the outside world.

"It is hard to believe that you really never took a single step outside the capital from childhood until now, never seeing the world beyond it."

Hua Manlou exclaimed in disbelief. "It seems you were very well protected."

"Protected?" Chu Yang froze for a moment, then threw back his head and laughed. "I was nothing more than a caged bird!"

"In all those years, the greatest act of rebellion I could manage was leaving a few extra piles of bird droppings in the cage, just to disgust whoever came to clean it."

Hua Manlou pondered for a moment. "I never expected Brother Chu to have troubles of his own."

"I did once, but not anymore." Chu Yang shook his head and smiled. "From the moment I stepped out of that cage, nothing could ever imprison my heart again."

Lu Xiaofeng raised his cup and laughed loudly. "Then here’s to Young Master Chu’s freedom from this day onward!"

Li Gexiao rose to his feet with a complicated expression, raised his cup as well, and nodded at Chu Yang.

Hua Manlou silently stood too.

The four drank together.

"To be honest, I’m quite touched. I never expected you two to come straight to find me after leaving the capital. If it hadn’t been for you, I doubt I could have escaped this calamity. Looking at it this way, Lu Xiaofeng really does have quite a lot of friends."

Lu Xiaofeng began grinning as he praised himself again.

"After years of indulgence and luxury, most of the people I met were merely drinking companions. There were very few I could truly speak with. You, Lu Xiaofeng, are indeed one of them."

Chu Yang lowered his head and rubbed his wine cup, a trace of nostalgia on his face.

Hua Manlou smiled slightly. "Brother Chu, could you count me among them too? After today, we should be considered friends as well, shouldn’t we?"

Chu Yang nodded. "Of course. Although we do not see things the same way, that does not stop me from admiring the kind of person you are. This world needs people like you."

Hua Manlou revealed a thoughtful expression.

Lu Xiaofeng asked curiously, "Where do you plan to go next?"

Chu Yang said, "This journey was merely a whim. There was never any particular destination; we simply went where our hearts led us. But now, my interest has waned."

Lu Xiaofeng seemed to understand what Chu Yang meant. "It was supposed to be a pleasant outing, but the moment you stepped outside, you saw beggars all over the streets. Their poverty had nothing to do with you, yet hearing them beg still left a bitter taste in your heart. Then you no longer had the mood for an outing."

The corners of Chu Yang’s mouth lifted. "That is quite an interesting analogy."

Speaking with the air of someone experienced, Lu Xiaofeng said, "I have to advise you on this. Human strength has its limits. It is already enough that we draw our blades to help when we encounter injustice. Do not think you can tie every person’s safety and happiness in the world to yourself."

"You do not have that ability. Even if you did, it would only exhaust you to death. You might as well be more carefree and unfettered, like me."

Li Gexiao slapped the table and burst into laughter. "Lu Xiaofeng, the man who loves meddling in other people’s business more than anyone, is actually telling others not to meddle! And you call yourself carefree and unfettered? I’ve never seen you living all that freely. That mouth of yours really loves talking nonsense."

Hua Manlou laughed along with him.

Lu Xiaofeng’s old face reddened as he snapped, "Drunkard, we’ve been friends for years, and this is how you tear me down?"

Li Gexiao shook his head with a laugh. "It is mainly because what you said was too absurd. And besides, your experience does not apply to His Highness. Some people can choose to live freely as you do, while others are born without that choice."

"From the moment they are born, they bear the fate of humanity upon their shoulders. They cannot run from it, and in the end, they must face it."

At this point, Li Gexiao’s expression turned solemn as he stared at Chu Yang and said gravely, "You have seen much of the world’s many faces along the way. I know you do not wish to return to that cage, and you want to live freely and unfettered as Lu Xiaofeng said."

"But if you truly abandon everything, this world will never have another chance to escape its present situation."

"The one hiding in that den of comfort and dreaming will not care whether the common people outside live or die."

Chu Yang did not answer. He set down his wine cup.

He silently walked to the window and looked out at the endless stream of carriages and pedestrians beyond the restaurant.

He truly had no interest in the throne. After being trapped in the capital for so many years and finally gaining real freedom, making him return would be an unbearable cruelty.

The more Lu Xiaofeng listened, the more something felt wrong. Combined with certain things that had happened earlier, strange thoughts began surfacing in his mind.

Just as he hesitated over how to speak, a loud cry suddenly came from outside.

"Urgent report!"

"The Qi Family Army has fallen into an ambush in Wanglong City, East Blue!"

"Japanese pirates and Great Demons have joined forces to set up an array and surround the Qi Family Army!"

"A Great Demon of the Sea Clan is about to lead an army against Jinling City!"

"General Qi has ordered us to gather every available force and defend Jinling City to the death!"

"Jinling City must not fall!"

"Once Jinling City falls, humanity will have no more cities along the coast to stop the Great Demons from entering the heartland of the Central Plains!"

A blood-soaked soldier rode down the streets on a warhorse equally drenched in blood, shouting at the top of his lungs as he charged straight toward the yamen.

Yet before reaching his destination, the soldier seemed to suddenly lose all his strength. He toppled from the horse and crashed heavily to the ground, his breathing growing faint.

The commoners and shopkeepers along the street voluntarily brought medicine from their homes, wanting to treat the wounded soldier. No one recoiled from the filth covering him.

Everyone understood that the wounds on his body had been borne for their sake.

Unfortunately…

His injuries were too severe. He was breathing out more than he breathed in, and it was clear he would not last much longer.

Someone began to cry softly, and the weeping seemed contagious. More and more people gathered around the dying soldier.

"Defend Jinling City to the death…"

Just as the color in the soldier’s eyes gradually faded, someone tightly grasped his hand, and a warm current flowed into his body.

Chu Yang held the blood-covered hand and looked back toward Li Gexiao upstairs in the restaurant.

It was as if he were saying…

Fine!

This world is mine!

Magistrate Xu had only just drunkenly lain down when he rushed out of the yamen with his clothes not even properly on, bringing his men with him in frantic haste.

"Quick, tell the county clerk to close the city gates!"

"Now!"

"Immediately send riders at full speed to deliver the news to the capital! We need a large number of reinforcements!"

"Damn it! How did the demon race suddenly attack us?!"

"That bastard Qi really is a usel—"

Before Magistrate Xu could finish, a hand suddenly reached out and slapped him viciously across the face. His vision went black, and he nearly fainted on the spot.

The adviser grabbed Magistrate Xu from behind, blocking his view entirely, and shouted anxiously, "Who dares assault an imperial official? Are you not afraid of execution?!"

After recovering his senses, Magistrate Xu covered his mouth and looked closely. The one who had hit him was none other than the Embroidered Uniform Guard he had just entertained at the restaurant.

"Chu, you dare hit me? Did you drink too much and decide to make a drunken scene before this magistrate?!"

"Even if you are an Embroidered Uniform Guard, I will arrest you today! Assaulting an imperial official is a grave crime! As an Embroidered Uniform Guard, you know the law and yet break it, so your crime is even worse!"

Chu Yang looked at him coldly. "General Qi is fighting in blood on the front lines, yet as magistrate, not only do you fail to calm the people, you even insult the Qi Family Army. Should you not be beaten?"

Having lost face and been lectured in public, Magistrate Xu was so furious smoke seemed ready to pour from his seven orifices. He roared, "What are you standing around for? Arrest him at once!"

The yamen runners holding Water-Fire Cudgels surrounded Chu Yang.

Because the south had long suffered from the harassment of demon races and demons, every town and city had far more yamen runners than those in the north. In an important hub like Jinling City, excluding the military, there were several thousand yamen runners alone.

All yamen runners were martial artists. With thousands of martial artists forming an array to attack together, which first-rate expert in the Jianghu could win?

Let alone a mere Embroidered Uniform Guard.

That was why Magistrate Xu was so arrogant.

Within this small patch of Jinling City, with the Qi Family Army absent, he was the undisputed local emperor!

Without a second thought, Li Gexiao, Lu Xiaofeng, and Hua Manlou leaped down from the restaurant and landed before Chu Yang, shielding him.

"This isn’t the capital. No one here is going to show Young Master Chu any respect. That slap was a bit too harsh." Lu Xiaofeng complained, then abruptly changed his tone and laughed heartily. "But it was a good slap—truly satisfying! I’ve been in Jinling City for days, and I have long found this magistrate’s actions intolerable."

"Taking advantage of General Qi’s absence from the city, this scoundrel actually dared to slacken the defenses. He and his people, including the county clerk, controlled the city gates and secretly accepted bribes. Travelers willing to pay enough could enter the city without inspection. It is utterly outrageous!"

The moment Magistrate Xu heard Lu Xiaofeng expose his deeds in public, he panicked and cursed, "Lu Xiaofeng, do not think that solving one case gives you the right to stand here and slander this magistrate!"

Lu Xiaofeng chuckled. "Whether it is slander or not, don’t you know it in your own heart?"

Even Hua Manlou, always gentle and amiable, could not help turning cold. "Magistrate Xu, although my Hua Family is wealthy, we know there is a proper way to make money. Some money can be earned, while some must never be touched. Jinling City is the gateway to the south, defending the Central Plains against the Great Demons of the Sea Clan. How could you behave this way?"

"If the imperial court learns of this, your entire clan will be executed!"

The words "execute your entire clan" struck Magistrate Xu like a thunderbolt. Perhaps he knew there would be no good end if his crimes were exposed. His face immediately flushed red as he pointed at Hua Manlou in shock and fury, cursing loudly.

"So what if you are a young master of the Jiangnan Hua Family? Even if I offend the Hua Family, I will not let you leave Jinling City today!"

The numerous yamen runners had already surrounded Chu Yang and the others layer upon layer. The commoners who had initially been watching the commotion were squeezed to the outside and could not hear their conversation at all, only faintly catching Magistrate Xu’s curses.

Seeing more and more yamen runners arriving, the commoners knew something major was about to happen. They gradually retreated into the distance, afraid of being dragged into it.

"The moment I saw you, I knew you were a crooked official. I haven’t been an Embroidered Uniform Guard for so many years, yet my eye for people hasn’t dulled."

Li Gexiao drew his Embroidered Spring Blade, pointed it at Magistrate Xu, and cursed.

"You aren’t Embroidered Uniform Guards?" Magistrate Xu froze, then began trembling with excitement. He laughed wildly. "Impersonating Embroidered Uniform Guards is a grave crime! If I kill you today, not only will I be innocent, I will be rewarded! Heaven is truly helping me!"

Lu Xiaofeng glared at Li Gexiao irritably. "Are you sick? Why did you talk to him about that? Now look at that smug expression!"

Li Gexiao did not care in the slightest. "At least let him die knowing the truth."

Hua Manlou smiled faintly. "Brother Li, you might as well say a little more. If you only say half of it, he will still die confused."

Li Gexiao looked at Hua Manlou in surprise. Though the other man was blind, Li Gexiao felt that his gaze was incomparably bright, as though it saw through all the affairs of the world.

Chu Yang smiled. "Bringing up my identity now will be useless. He has already been driven to desperation; it will only strengthen his resolve to kill us."

Li Gexiao smacked his lips. "Trying costs nothing. How much worse can things get?"

The next moment, he shouted, "Xu, there is something I need to remind you of. Consider it your grandfather’s great mercy, giving you one chance so that when your entire clan is implicated, you won’t resent your grandfather down in Yomi."

Magistrate Xu, who had been about to order the yamen runners to attack, signaled for his men to wait.

Magistrate Xu curled his lips. Holding an absolute advantage, he was filled with arrogance as he smiled. "Say whatever last words you have. Consider it this official’s act of mercy."

"Oh, and this official has no unfilial grandson like you!"

Lu Xiaofeng said teasingly, "That mouth of his really refuses to let you have even the slightest advantage."

Li Gexiao coughed dryly.

"Listen carefully, grandson!"

"The one who slapped you just now is the prince personally invested by the Late Emperor, the current Emperor’s younger brother—His Highness Prince Xian!"

The words "Prince Xian" were like a massive bomb falling among the yamen runners!

The next instant, voices erupted!

An uproar broke out everywhere!

Magistrate Xu had not expected this at all, and panic appeared on his face.

Prince Xian!

Wasn’t he that useless prince who had always remained in the capital?

How had he suddenly appeared here…

A flash of insight crossed Magistrate Xu’s mind, and he shouted, "You damned thief first impersonated Embroidered Uniform Guards, and now you are here spreading wild lies to confuse the public!"

"Everyone in the realm knows that Prince Xian never leaves the capital. There is no way he would travel all the way to Jinling City!"

"And even if he did come, he could not possibly have brought only two or three people. Everyone knows Prince Xian lives extravagantly. Whenever he travels, his entourage must be grand, and the ceremonial retinue of a prince would not be lacking in the slightest."

"A prince riding into the city on horseback? Who are you trying to fool?"

After he said this, the initially panicked yamen runners gradually settled down.

Chu Yang said helplessly, "You could have just fought. Why did you have to drag me into it and make me take a scolding for nothing?"

Li Gexiao spread his hands.

Lu Xiaofeng asked quietly, "Is it true?"

Chu Yang nodded. "It is."

Remembering his earlier disrespectful words, Lu Xiaofeng felt that even having his head chopped off several times would not be enough. He closed his eyes with an expression of utter despair.

"Well, now we’re completely screwed."